In big upset, top-seeded UCLA men’s volleyball season ends

Their fortunes changed in a flash.

One moment, the UCLA men’s volleyball players were celebrating a trip to the Final Four.

The next, they were mourning the end of their season.

That’s how quickly the momentum shifted Saturday night after what appeared to be the winning point was wiped out by an official review during the Bruins’ NCAA Tournament quarterfinal against UC Irvine.

Given new life, the unseeded Anteaters went on to complete the comeback, knocking off top-seeded UCLA, 25-23, 19-25, 25-23, 19-25, 16-14, at Pauley Pavilion.

How big of an upset was this?

The Bruins (29-2) had lost just once previously this season, with their only other setback coming against Pepperdine a month ago.

“Being honest,” said UCLA senior outside hitter Zach Rama, his eyes reddened with sadness, “I don’t think it’s anything any of us expected just because of how confident we are and our ability to play together. I don’t think it’s fully hit me yet.”

Rama’s attack error on match point sparked a wild celebration for UC Irvine (20-8), which had trailed 8-4 in the fifth set and appeared momentarily beaten after an earlier match point had been awarded to the Bruins before being reversed.

Anteaters coach David Kniffin said he was confident the replay would given his team the critical point because he had heard a UCLA player touch the ball on the play.

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“But sound doesn’t carry on a challenge review system,” Kniffin said, “so you never know what the camera is going to pick up. But, for me, it wasn’t even if we got the touch or not, it was about sustaining belief.”

In the Bruins’ huddle, there was determination to not let the call beat them twice.

“We did talk about being able to move on even if the call was to be overturned,” senior setter Andrew Rowan said, “so do our best to bounce back from a call like that.”

This was already an unusual situation for the Bruins, who were forced to rally to force the fifth set. They had trailed 2-1 only three times previously this season, including a comeback victory over the Anteaters on Feb. 28 that they won in five sets.

After the reversal on match point pulled the Anteaters to within 14-13, an attack error on UCLA middle blocker Cameron Thorne tied the score.

The Bruins then unsuccessfully challenged a kill by UC Irvine’s Andreas Brinck, which gave the Anteaters match point. They capitalized on Rama’s attack error that sailed out of bounds.

As their fans roared in approval, the Anteaters’ reserves bounded onto the court and senior William D’Arcy pulled the front of his jersey over his head in celebration.

Meanwhile, the Bruins were left to contemplate a Final Four that will be held without them on their home court. UC Irvine will play fourth-seeded Ball State in one semifinal May 9 at Pauley Pavilion, and third-seeded Long Beach State will play second-seeded Hawaii in the other semifinal.

“I mean, it’s obviously tough,” Rowan said. “It’s the first time we haven’t been past this game in our collegiate career, so it’s tough. It hasn’t really set in yet.”

UCLA’s seniors had been part of two championships before finishing as runners-up last season. There would be no happy ending in their farewell season.

“I’m incredibly sad for them,” Bruins coach John Hawks said. “We had an incredible run, and I’m sorry to see it end.”

byAlpha World

in

May 05, 2026

In big upset, top-seeded UCLA men’s volleyball season ends

Their fortunes changed in a flash. One moment, the UCLA men’s volleyball players were celebrating a trip to the Final Four. The ...

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European leaders see Trump's troop drawdown from Germany as new proof they must go it alone

YEREVAN, Armenia (AP) — European leaders on Monday said that U.S. President Donald Trump’s snap decision to pull thousands ofU.S. troops out of Germanycame as a surprise but is a fresh sign that Europe must take care of its own security.

Armenia Europe Summit

The Pentagon announced last week that it would pull some 5,000 troops out of Germany, but Trump told reporters on Saturday that “we’re going to cut way down. And we’re cutting a lot further than 5,000.”

He offered no reason for the move, which blindsided NATO, but his decision came amid an escalatingdispute with German Chancellor Friedrich Merzover the U.S-Israeli war on Iran, and Trump’s anger that European allies have been reluctant to get involved in the conflict in the Middle East.

Asked about the decision to pull out 5,000 troops from Germany, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre said: “I wouldn’t exaggerate that because I think we are expecting that Europe is taking more charge of its own security.

“I do not see those figures as dramatic, but I think they should be handled in a harmonious way inside the framework of NATO,” he told reporters in Yerevan, Armenia, where European leaders are holding a summit.

The European Union’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, said “there has been a talk about withdrawal of U.S. troops for a long time from Europe. But of course, the timing of this announcement comes as a surprise.”

“I think it shows that we have to really strengthen the European pillar in NATO,” she said.

Asked whether she believes that Trump is trying to punish Merz, who said that the U.S. has been humiliated by Iran in talks to end the war, Kallas said: “I don’t see into the head of President Trump, so he has to explain it himself.”

Over the weekend, NATO spokesperson Allison Hart said that officials at the 32-nation military alliance “are working with the U.S. to understand the details of their decision on force posture in Germany.”

European allies and Canada have known since just after he came to office again last year that Trump wouldpull troops out of Europe— indeed some left Romania in October — but U.S. officials had pledged to coordinate any moves with their NATO allies to avoid creating a security vacuum.

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NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte played down the move, saying that “there has been at this point disappointment on the U.S. side” about European support for the war on Iran.

Notably France, Spain and the U.K. have declined to give U.S. forces free rein to use bases on their territory to attack Iran. Spain has denied them the use of its airspace and bases there for the war.

But Rutte, who has championed Trump’s leadership at NATO despite the U.S. president's criticism of the majority of the allies, said: “I would say the Europeans have heard a message. They are now making sure that all the bilateral basing agreements are being implemented.”

Rutte added that European nations “have decided to pre-position assets, key assets, close to the theater for the next phase.”

He provided no details, but the Europeans have insisted they would not help police the Strait of Hormuz, a key energy trade route, until the war is over.

French President Emmanuel Macron said “if the United States is ready to reopen Hormuz, that’s great. That’s what we’ve been asking for since the beginning.” But he underlined that the Europeans are not ready to get involved in any operation “that does not seem clear to us.”

In another sign of friction with Merz, Trump has accused the EU of not complying with its U.S. trade deal and announced plans toincrease tariffsnext week on cars and trucks produced in the bloc to 25%, a move that would be particularly damaging to Germany, a major automobile manufacturer.

Without mentioning Trump or the United States, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen listed recent trade deals that the bloc has sealed with Australia and India, and is now working on with Mexico.

“With like-minded friends, you have stable, reliable supply chains and Europe has the biggest network of free trade agreements,” von der Leyen, who is from Germany, told reporters.

Cook reported from Brussels.

byAlpha World

in

May 05, 2026

European leaders see Trump's troop drawdown from Germany as new proof they must go it alone

YEREVAN, Armenia (AP) — European leaders on Monday said that U.S. President Donald Trump’s snap decision to pull thousands ofU.S. troop...

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1 missing U.S. soldier in Morocco was trying to save another, officials say

Missing U.S. soldier was trying to save colleague who fell in ocean off Moroccan coast 01:21

One of thetwo American service members missing in Moroccojumped into the water to try to save the other missing soldier, defense officials told CBS News on Monday.

Search and rescue efforts were still underway as of Monday after the two U.S. Army soldiers went missing in the waters of the Atlantic Ocean off Morocco's southern coast over the weekend. The soldiers were part of an annual training exercise known as African Lion, although the incident is not believed to be related to the exercise.

According to a preliminary report, a group of service members was on a hike to watch the sunset when a soldier fell into the water. A defense official previously told CBS News the soldiers were last seen near ocean cliffs near the Cap Draa Training Area.

When the first soldier fell into the water, the nearby service members attempted a rescue by forming a human chain with their belts, but were unsuccessful, the officials said. Another soldier then jumped in to save the service member, who was known not to be able to swim, but the would-be rescuer was immediately hit by a wave, the report indicates.

Both soldiers were having trouble getting back to shore, so a third jumped in. That third soldier wasn't able to save the other two but was able to make it back safely on their own, the officials said.

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Multiple aircraft, drones, divers and vessels have been searching along Morocco's southern coast for the last three days for the two missing U.S. soldiers.

African Lion is the largest annual joint military exercise led by AFRICOM, one of the U.S. Department of Defense's 11 unified combatant commands. It brings together thousands of troops from the United States, African partner nations and NATO allies to train for modern warfare across land, air, sea, cyber and space domains.

The soldiers were stationed at a base along with more than 7,000 service members from over 30 countries for the annual exercises.

A CBS News crew embedded with the U.S. military spoke with one of the technology developers just hours before the two soldiers went missing.

"I choose to look around and measure the work we do today as a metric for the number of lives we'll save in the future," 1st Lt. Vincent Gasparri said.

That future came sooner than expected as the rescue effort involved using drones he designed himself to search for his fellow soldiers.

byAlpha World

in

May 05, 2026

1 missing U.S. soldier in Morocco was trying to save another, officials say

Missing U.S. soldier was trying to save colleague who fell in ocean off Moroccan coast 01:21 One of thetwo American service membe...

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Is it legal to go topless on Florida beaches or in your backyard?

Florida is forecast to have a warmer-than-usual summer, which is saying something. Floridians and tourists are already gearing up for long days on the Sunshine State's famous beaches and some backyard tanning, which brings up a frequent question: Do women have to keep their tops on?

It depends on where you expose yourself and what your intentions are.

What are Florida laws about public nudity?

Florida law is pretty direct: It bans "exposing or exhibiting" "sexual organs" in public or on someone else's private property in a "vulgar or indecent manner." You are also prohibited from being vulgar or indecent exposure naked in public, which generally means an accidental flash is no big deal, but lewd or sexual activity is forbidden.

The law does exempt nudity for nursing mothers and simple nakedness in a place "provided or set apart for that purpose," which covers locker rooms, changing rooms, doctors' offices, and also designated nude beaches and private resorts. Florida law also does not mention how trans men, trans women, or trans nonbinary people would be characterized under the statute.

Violations are a first-degree misdemeanor, punishable up to one year in jail and/or a fine of up to $1,000. Second and later violations are third-degree felonies, punishable by up to five years in jail and/or a fine of up to $5,000.

Can I be topless or nude in my backyard in Florida?

If you are not committing lewd or "vulgar" acts and you cannot readily be seen by neighbors or the public, yes.

The same goes for skinny-dipping in your pool or walking around naked in your home in front of windows.

However, if people can easily see you, you could face public exposure charges. Worse, if you are found to be exposing yourself where children can easily see you, you could be charged withcommitting lewd and lascivious conduct, a first-degree felony if the naked person is 18 or older and a third-degree felony if they are under 18.

Is it legal to skinny-dip in Florida?

Is it legal to breastfeed in public in Florida?

Yes. The Florida anti-nudity statute specifically exempts mothers breastfeeding their babies.

What does your bathing suit have to cover in Florida?

Florida law doesn't specify, but many local ordinances do. Daytona Beach ordinances, for example, go intoprecise detailabout how much breast by surface area must be covered and exactly where buttocks start. Checkyour local rulesby searching for "public nudity" or "exposure."

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Can I go to a nude beach in Florida?

You are permitted to strip down if you are at a location established for it, and out of the view of the unsuspecting public.

There isno restriction on nudity in the National Parks Service, and nudists and naturalists have taken advantage of that by establishing well-labeled nude beaches at several parks. Florida also boasts nude beaches at two county-owned parks, and an unofficial nude island on the west coast.

• Apollo Beach, Beach No. 5 at Canaveral National Seashore Park on the New Smyrna Beach end.

• Playalinda Beach, Canaveral National Seashore Park, coming from the Titusville end (nudity only permitted in the Volusia County portion, north of Lot 13).

• Blind Creek Beach, a clothing-optional beach between Pierce and Stuart that is sanctioned and operated by St. Lucie County.

• Haulover Beach, a designated quarter-mile section of Haulover Park near Hollywood and Miami, operated by Miami-Dade County.

• Passage Key, also called "Naked Island," a sandbar just north of Anna Maria at the mouth of Tampa Bay. The island itself is a designated bird sanctuary, and stepping on the beach itself is prohibited.

However, note that if your activity causes problems with other park goers, the NPS will step in to resolve the issue, and sexual or lewd activity at the other beaches will bring the law.

Are there any nude resorts in Florida?

There are several nudist and naturalist resorts in the Sunshine State, with some established many decades ago. They include:

• Cypress Cove, family-friendly clothing-optional resort in Kissimmee since 1964

• Paradise Lakes, adult-only resort in Lutz, Pasco County, the self-proclaimed "nudist capital of the US"

• Calinete Club & Resorts, adult-only resort in Land O'Lakes

• Island House Key West, gay, bisexual and trans men resort in Key West

• Sunsport Gardens, family-friendly resort near West Palm Beach

• Suwannee Valley Resort, adults-only resort in North Florida on the Suwannee River

• Rooftop Resort, adults-only nudist hotel in Hollywood

Check each one for rules and availability. Andwear sunscreen.

Is it legal to go topless while protesting topless laws?

Apparently, although you may wish to consult local ordinances and an attorney before heading out. Public nudity remains illegal, but there have been localized rulings on specific topless protests.

In 2004, Elizabeth Book of Ormond Beach was arrested for exposing her chest on the Main Street Bridge during Bike Week under Daytona Beach's anti-nudity ordinance, according to Daytona Beach News-Journal archives. Book, a self-avowed top-free activist, was protesting what she called the unconstitutional inequality of women being forced to cover their breasts while men are not.

A judge later threw out the charges on the grounds that she was exercising her constitutionally protected free speech rights under the First Amendment.

She was arrested again for the same reason the next year, andthat case was dismissed as well.However, Book'sattempt to sue the cityover what she called false arrestsultimately failed.

Daytona Beach ordinancesnow acknowledge nudity in constitutionally protected communication, demonstration, or performance when it is necessary for a genuine message or public expression, provided it is not a guise or pretense utilized to exploit nudity for profit or commercial gain."

C. A. Bridges is a journalist for the USA TODAY Network-Florida's service journalism Connect team. You can get all of Florida’s best content directly in your inbox each weekday day by signing up for the free newsletter,Florida TODAY.

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal:Florida's nudity laws on beaches, tanning. What's legal in your yard

byAlpha World

in

May 05, 2026

Is it legal to go topless on Florida beaches or in your backyard?

Florida is forecast to have a warmer-than-usual summer, which is saying something. Floridians and tourists are already gearing up for l...

Read More

Exclusive-China robot-hand-building unicorn Linkerbot targets $6 billion valuation

By Laurie Chen

BEIJING, May 4 (Reuters) - Chinese robotics startup Linkerbot, the global market leader in highly dexterous robotic hands for humanoids, will seek a $6 billion valuation in its next financing round, double the valuation in a just-closed funding, the company said.

Beijing-based Linkerbot completed what it called ‌a “series B+” funding round last week that valued it at $3 billion. It did not say when the next funding round will be launched or ‌whether it was targeting the previously undisclosed $6 billion valuation in a private investment round or in an initial public offering.

Prominent early backers of the two-year-old unicorn include Alibaba's Ant Group and Sequoia spin-off ​HongShan Group, while the state-backed Zhongguancun Science Park Fund, Bank of China Asset Management and Fosun Capital participated in the latest round, the company said in a statement on Thursday.

Linkerbot currently holds over 80% of the global market share in high-degree-of-freedom (DoF) robotic hands, and plans to scale production "soon" to 10,000 units a month from almost 5,000 currently, CEO Alex Zhou told Reuters in an interview.

Investor interest in China's humanoid robotics industry has surged this year after market leaders such as Unitree demonstrated their products' staggering technical advances ‌during a widely watched TV performance and the Beijing humanoid ⁠robot half-marathon last month. Unitree filed for a Shanghai IPO in March, seeking a valuation of up to $7 billion.

Unlike competing humanoid makers such as X Square Robot that focus on training robotic hands for household chores, Linkerbot specialises in high-value human craftsmanship.

"We ⁠aren't just making hands. Our goal is to replicate the entire library of human dexterous skills within our hardware," Zhou said, referring to the firm's LinkerSkillNet platform, which he claims is the world's largest real-world dexterous manipulation dataset.

The platform is a multimodal data collection system that converts human skills into standardised, reusable capabilities for robotic hands, containing over 500 skills so ​far.

"The ​hand is the most complex part of the whole humanoid robot. Elon Musk described on ​several occasions that the part was taking more than half of ‌their whole engineering effort forTesla's Optimus," said Georg Stieler, head of robotics and automation at technology consultancy Stieler.

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Musk promised that the latest Optimus model, to be launched this spring, will have "the manual dexterity of a human".

TECHNICAL FRONTIER

Inspired by his childhood fondness for Doraemon, the Japanese cartoon robotic cat who holds an infinite array of gadgets in his pocket, CEO Zhou envisions his robots playing the piano, giving massages or even doing dentistry: skills he says are a "value-add that is at least triple that of basic labour".

Linkerbot's hands can already rapidly turn screws, grasp deformable soft objects, thread a needle and engage in high-precision manufacturing. The company supplies some of ‌China's leading humanoid robot makers as well as some foreign industrial giants, which the company declined ​to disclose due to NDAs.

Its basic O6 light-weight model can carry a 50 kg load despite ​weighing only 370 g, performance Zhou said was a key advantage for ​industrial applications where miniaturisation and strength are required.

The company manufactures key components like joint modules, motors and reducers in-house, and uses specialised ‌polymers that are self-lubricating and corrosion-resistant, Zhou said.

Besides industrial settings, ​Linkerbot's hands are used by research institutes and ​leading global universities. The company has over 400 employees and five factories in Beijing and Shenzhen, and is developing intelligent production lines where robotic hands manufacture other hands.

A major obstacle to the widespread factory use of humanoids is their cost, at $100,000 to $150,000 per unit for the leading industrial models from ​Unitree, AgiBot and UBTech, analysts say. But Linkerbot says ‌its hands are more easily deployed.

"Chinese factory owners are extremely pragmatic. They’ve realised that for most factory work, two arms and a pair ​of dexterous hands are enough," said Zhou.

"Currently, many of our customers simply mount our hands onto existing robotic arms rather than buying a ​full humanoid," he said.

(Reporting by Laurie Chen; Editing by Kevin Krolicki and Muralikumar Anantharaman)

byAlpha World

in

May 04, 2026

Exclusive-China robot-hand-building unicorn Linkerbot targets $6 billion valuation

By Laurie Chen BEIJING, May 4 (Reuters) - Chinese robotics startup Linkerbot, the global market leader in highly dexterous roboti...

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